(CNN) - In Monday's West Virgina Senate debate, Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin sought to claim his independence and Republican John Raese tried to attach Manchin’s name to President Obama’s as much as possible. The other two candidates seemed to act like buffers.

“I have to inform my opponent that Mr. Obama’s name will not be on the ballot for the U.S. Senate in West Virginia,” Manchin said.FULL POST

(CNN) – Four candidates will be on the stage in West Virginia Monday night for the first and possibly only debate in the battle for an open Senate seat in that Democrats have controlled for over half a century.

The debate, in Morgantown, West Virginia includes Gov. Joe Manchin, the Democrat's nominee, businessman John Raese, the Republican nominee, Jess Johnson of the Mountain Party and Jesse Becker of the Constitution Party. A crowded stage with four candidates would seem to help Manchin, a popular two-term governor.

"Manchin isn't the incumbent, but he's the de-facto incumbent - the 800 pound gorilla in the race. Anytime the anti-Manchin/anti-Obama/anti-Pelosi vote divides, it helps Manchin, says Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report.FULL POST

(CNN) - A new poll indicates that Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin of West Virginia leads his Republican challenger by double digits in the battle over an open Senate held by the Democrats for over half a century.

According to a Marshall University poll released Friday, 48 percent of likely voters in West Virginia support the popular two-term governor, with 38 percent backing businessman John Raese, the GOP nominee, and 12 percent undecided.

Other recent polls suggest a closer contest, including a CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday that indicated the two candidates were dead even at 44 percent.

According to a CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday, 44 percent of likely voters support popular two-term Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin, the Democratic nominee, with an equal amount backing businessman John Raese, the Republican nominee. Five percent of those questioned support Jesse Johnson of the Mountain Party and three percent are undecided.

(CNN) - Call Bill Clinton the Democrat's go to guy this election year, and this week he's going to make a lot of stops on the campaign trail.

The former president starts Monday in Kentucky, where he teams up with Jack Conway, the state's attorney general and the Democratic Senate nominee. The former president headlines a Conway rally in Lexington on the campus of the University of Kentucky and separately help Conway raise campaign cash at a fundraiser. Conway is battling Republican nominee Rand Paul to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Jim Bunning.FULL POST

Editor's Note: In the final 100 days before Election Day, CNN has been profiling one race at random each day from among the nation's top 100 House races, which we've dubbed "The CNN 100." Read the full list here. Today's featured district is:

(CNN) - Gov. Joe Manchin, West Virginia's Democratic Senate nominee, was the target of an ad controversy this week, and now he's retaliating.

Manchin's opponent, Republican John Raese, aired a video that showed three West Virginia voters saying Manchin should stay "right here in West Virginia." But, they weren't West Virginia voters, and they weren't even in West Virginia. Instead, the spot was shot in Philadelphia, and the three men were hired actors. The casting notice for the ad, which was paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, called for actors with a "'Hicky' Blue Collar look," sparking outrage from Democrats.FULL POST